Kettledrum



S. GOODMAN Feb. 26, 1952 KETTLEDRUM Filed Feb. 3. 1950 Arron 7 Patented F eb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KETTLEDRUM Saul Goodman, Yonkers, N. Y. Application February 3, 1950, Serial No. 142,260

3 Claims.

This invention relates to kettledrums, and more particularly, to the tuning means thereof.

Existin devices for performing the tuning function in kettledrums have been complicated and expensive to manufacture, and have been relatively inefficient in that the mechanisms employed did'not assure uniform tensioning about the entire periphery of the drum head. The latter defect degraded the tone of the instrument. In addition, these tuning devices were not sufficiently rapid in operation and required unduly delicate adjustment.

It is, therefore, among the objects of the present invention to provide a tuning mechanism for a kettledrum which is relatively simple in construction, easy and economical to fabricate and assemble, and admirably adapted to perform its intended functions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a tuning means which assures positive control over the tension of the drum head, and enables the attainment of uniform tension about the entire periphery of said drum head, resulting in an instrument having superior purity of tone.

It is a further object of the present invention 1 to provide a tuning means which is quickly responsive to the tuning manipulations of the player, and which is extremely accurate without unduly delicate adjustment.

These, and other objects of the present invention, which will become more apparent as the detailed description thereof progresses, are attained, broadly, in the following manner.

The invention includes a conventional kettledrum body over the open end of which a drum head is stretched. This head is mounted on a hoop with which cooperates a, counter-hoop. A plurality of bearing members extend outwardly from the body, and a plurality of simultaneously operable rotatable members are engageable with thefcounter-hoop and the bearing members. Each of the rotatable members is provided with a wrench-receiving socket so that manipulation of any one rotatable member similarly affects all. The mechanism interconnectin the rotatable members is maintained under adjustable tension by a simple pressure member carried by the counter-hoop in contact with said interconnecting mechanism.

In the accompanying specification there shall be described, and in the annexed drawing shown, an illustrative embodiment of this invention. It is, however, to be clearly understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the exact details herein shown and described for purposes of illustration only, inasmuch as changes therein may be made without the exercise of invention and within the true spirit and scope of the claims hereto appended.

In said drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a kettledrum provided with a, tuning means made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partial top plan, partial sectional view of a, portion of the drum body and chain tensioning means; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken along line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more in detail to the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the present invention, with particular reference to the drawing illustrating the same, the numeral [0 generally designates a kettledrum including a hollow, hemispherical body I I, made of copper, brass, etc., and provided at its open end with the rolled or beaded edge l2. Stretched over the open end of the body H is a head l3, made of calf skin or the like, the outer marginal portions of said head being suitably secured to, as by being wrapped about and subsequently shrunken on, a circular hoop l 4 of solid rectangular cross-section. Cooperable with the hoop I4 is a counter-hoop l5 of substantially L-shaped cross-section, said counter-hoop being provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced, outwardly extending lugs IS, in turn, provided with countersunk bearing apertures l1.

Extending outwardly from the drum body I I is a plurality of brackets I8, said brackets being provided with threaded bushings l 9 adjacent the outer ends thereof, in vertical register with the apertures I! in the lugs l6.

Mounted in each of the paired apertures l1 and bushings I9 is a partially threaded rod 20 at the upper end of which there is fixed a sprocket wheel 2!, and between each sprocket wheel 2| and the adjacent lug I6, is a thrust bearing 22 and conical washer 23, the latter fitting into the countersunk portions of the apertures H. The upper faces of the sprocket wheels 2| are recessed, as at 24, to receive a tuning wrench 25, the rotation of any one sprocket wheel similarly affecting the remaining ones as will hereinafter become more apparent.

Engageable with all of the sprocket wheels 2| is an endless sprocket chain 26, said chain bearing against a wedge member 21 rotatably mounted on the reduced end 28 of an adjusting screw 29.

The latter is mounted in a vertical lug 30 carried by the counterhoop l5 midway between any two adjacent sprocket wheels, and serves to adjust the tension on the sprocket chain and take up any slack therein, thereby assuring positive drive.

This completes the description of the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It will be apparent from the foregoing that rotation in one direction of any one sprocket wheel 2| by the use of the wrench 25 will, through the chain 26, similarly rotate the remaining sprocket wheels. This causes the rods 20 to be equally rotated and, inasmuch as these rods are threadedly engaged in the bearings l9, thrust is applied to the counter-hoop I5 to urge said counter-hoop toward the brackets 18. Additional tension is therefore applied to the head [3 over the drum body. Obviously, rotation of the sprocket wheels 2| in the opposite direction relieves said tension.

There has thus been provided a simple and inexpensive tuning mechanism for a kettledrum, which mechanism is quickly responsive to the tuning manipulations of the player, assures posi-- tive control over the tension of th drum head, and assures uniform tension about the entire periphery of said drum head.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates.

What is claimed is:

l. A kettledrum comprising: a hollow substantially hemispherical body; a hoop supporting a taut head over the open end of said body; a counter-hoop in operative engagement with said hoop; bearing members extending from said body; and means for producing relative movement between said counter-hoop and said bearing members, whereby the tension of said head over said body may be uniformly adjusted simultaneously about the entire periphery thereof; said means including a plurality of peripherally spaced rotatable members engageable with said counterhoop and said bearing members, sprocket wheels carried by said rotatable members, and an endless sprocket chain directly sprocket wheels for simultaneous operation of said rotatable members.

2. A kettledrum comprising: a hollow substantially hemispherical body; a hoop supporting a taut head over the open end of said body; a counter-hoop in operative engagement with said interconnecting said hoop; bearing members extending from said body; and means for producing relative movement between said counter-hoop and said bearing members, whereby the tension of said head over said body may be uniformly adjusted simultaneously about the entire periphery thereof; said means including a plurality of peripherally spaced rotatable shafts freely engaged in said counterhoop and threadedly engaged in said bearing members, sprocket wheels carried by said shafts and provided with wrench-receiving sockets, thrust bearings rotatably mounted on said shafts intermediate said counter-hoop and said sprocket wheels, an endless sprocket chain interconnecting said sprocket wheels for simultaneous rotation of said shafts.

3. A kettledrum comprising: a hollow substantially hemispherical body; a hoop supporting a membrane over the open end of said body; a counter-hoop in operative engagement with said hoop; bearing members extending from said body; and means for producing relative movement between said counter-hoop and said bearing members, whereby the tension of said membrane over said body may be uniformly adjusted simultaneously about the entire periphery thereof; said means including a plurality of peripherally spaced members freely rotatable in said counterhoop and threadedly engaged in said bearing members, sprocket wheels carried by said peripherally spaced members, and an endless sprocket chain interconnecting said sprocket wheels for simultaneous rotation of said peripherally spaced members, and a pressure member adjustably carried by said counter-hoop in contact with said sprocket chain for controlling the tension of the latter.

SAUL GOODMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

